Balangir: Odisha police claimed to have unraveled the murder mystery of Constable Shankar Behera with the arrest of six persons including two from Jharkhand.

Constable Shankar Behera was found dead in a hotel room near Balangir Railway Station on May 17.

The accused persons were identified as Pankaj Kumar, Suraj Kumar Barnawal -- both from Jharkhand -- Krushna Meher of Angul district, Manoranjan Sathua of Boudh district, Nitai Kar of Sonepur district, and Rohit Sa of Balangir district of Odisha.

Informing media about the arrest of six accused persons for their alleged involvement in the murder case, Balangir police revealed that the constable was killed over a dispute in illegal gemstone trading.

However, two more accused persons involved in the murder case are still at large, the police said today.

"The manhunt operation is on to nab two absconding accused persons in the case," said Balangir SP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo.

The district police has seized two four-wheeler vehicles, three motorcycles, precious gemstones worth over Rs 50 lakh, one country made pistol and mobile phones from the possessions of the accused persons.

According to reports, Shankar Behera was posted at Sonepur Town Police Station. He was found dead with his hands and legs tied from a hotel room last in Balangir last month.

Following the incident, three special police teams under supervision of Balangir SP initiated the probe into the death mystery.

During the investigation, police found that Pankaj Kumar along with seven others had booked a room in a hotel by furnishing his fake documents. He asked constable Shakar Behera to visit the hotel room with a diamond, which was in his possession. After the latter entered the room, they tied his hands, legs and face with clothes and fled from the area after murder, said the SP.

All the accused persons have been booked under section 302 of IPC and forwarded to a local court today.